Adjustable support assembly for kiln lining apparatus



United States Patent 3,550,344 ADJUSTABLE SUPPORT ASSEMBLY FOR KILN LINING APPARATUS Robert P. Maier, Raytown, and Donald R. Byfield, Kansas City, Mo., and George G. Reintjes, Overland Park, Kaus., assignors to Geo. P. Reintjes Co., Inc., Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Continuation of application Ser. No. 654,811, July 20, 1967. This application July 22, 1969, Ser. No. 847,521 Int. Cl. E04g 11/20; E01g /14 U.S. Cl. 52-749 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A supporting assembly including a framework to be positioned substantially vertically interiorly of a rotary kiln for adjustably supporting a rigid member in spaced relationship to the interior face of the kiln shell, the framework carrying a plurality of screws which are connected to the rigid member whereby, upon independent operation of the screws, the desired configuration of the rigid member with respect to the interior face of the shell may be maitnained.

This is a continuation of application 654,811, filed July 20, 1967, and now abandoned.

This invention relates to a support assembly for kiln lining apparatus of the type shown in Pat. No. 3,298,155, issued Ian. 17, 1967.

It is the primary object of this invention to provide a support assembly for such kiln lining apparatus, which assembly includes a framework, the framework being substantially vertically disposed within the kiln, there being a plurality of screws carried by said framework, the other ends of the screws being fixedly clamped to the framework, the other ends of the screws being pivotally connected to a rigid member which is spaced from the interior face of the kiln shell and normally supports the liner brick during the kiln lining operation.

It is a yet further object of this invention to provide a support assembly for kiln lining apparatus which is adjustable in all respects in that the same has a framework including a center post and a pair of stringers, the stringers diverging downwardly from said center post and supporting the screws, the lower ends of the center post and the stringers being carried by a baseplate, which baseplate is shiftable in a vertical path whereby said support assembly is yet further adjustable with respect to the rigid member carried thereby.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a rotary kiln looking thereinto and showing the support assembly therewithin in connection with kiln lining apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sections view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional View taken on line 3--3 of FIG. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

The support assembly hereinafter described is particularly intended for use with apparatus for lining the interior face of the shell of a rotary kiln such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,298,155, issued 1 an. 17, 1967. Such apparatus is adapted to be positioned within a rotary kiln 10, the kiln having an outer shell 12, normally of metal of suitable strength and of an elongated, cylindrical configuration, the shell having an exterior face 14 and an interior face 16, there being liner brick 18 which are positioned against the interior face 16 of the shell 12 in lining the same. Kiln 10 is normally provided with a plurality of ribs 20 spaced along the length thereof, which ribs each ride on a set of opposed trunnions 22 whereby the kiln 10 may be rotated.

The kiln lining apparatus in conjunction with which this support assembly is to be utilized, includes wheeled carriage assemblies 24 which ride upon trackways 26 positioned interiorly and longitudinally of kiln 10, said assemblies 24 supporting a scaffolding rig 28 normally positioned in the lower portion of the interior of the kiln, the rig 28, in turn, supporting a platform 30, which platform 30 has casters 32 carried at the outer ends thereof to facilitate rotary movement of the kiln with the lining apparatus therewithin.

The kiln lining apparatus further includes a normally arcuate, rigid member 34 which spans the upper half of the interior of the kiln shell, said rigid member in turn, carrying a flexible expandable member (not shown) which, in turn, carries an articulated frame, the liner brick 18 resting upon the frame, which is not shown, whereby, upon shifting of the articulated frame, as by expansion of the flexible member, the liner brick 18 are moved into engagement with the interior face 16 of the shell 12 in the manner more fully described in the abovementioned Pat. No. 3,298,155.

The support assembly 36 for use in connection with the above-described kiln lining apparatus, includes a framework 38 carried upon platform 30 and, more particularly, by vertically shiftable baseplates 40, the framework including, in the form chosen for illustration, a center post 42 supported in a substantially vertical position by a guy bar connected thereto and to one of the baseplates 40, a pair of stringers 44 and 46 diverging downwardly from the upper end of center post 42, and a plurality of screws 48 interconnecting the rigid member 34 and the stringers 44 and 46 of the framework 38.

Support assembly 36 is carried upon platform 30 by means of beams 50 in the nature of flat boards or the like, the beams 50 being positioned longitudinally of the platform 30. Each beam 50 has a length of pipe 52 corresponding thereto and in overlying, centrally disposed relationship to its respective beam 50. The pipes 52 each support a pair of jacks 54, it being noted that jacks 54 each have a saddle 56 at the lower end thereof so that the support assembly may be shifted longitudinally of the kiln by moving said saddles 56 along their corresponding pipes 52.

Each pair of jacks 54, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing, is coupled with a corresponding baseplate 40, said baseplates 40 being vertically shiftable upon actuation of their corresponding pair of jacks 54. Baseplates 40, in turn, collectively support a transversely disposed jack beam 58 which is in substantially parallel relationship to the platform 30, the jack beam, in turn, being in engagement with the normally lowermost ends of center post 42 and stringers 44 and 46, each of the latter having a foot on the lower end thereof which is in engagement with the upper face of jack beam 58.

The center post 42 is of the configuration shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing and consists of a pair of channel members 60 and 62, the same being in back-to-back relationship as illustrated in said FIG. 3. The channel members 60 and 62 may be coupled together as by passing suitable fastening means through their opposed web portions, it being noted however, that said members can be readily separated as by removing said fastening means, whereby the entire support assembly 36 may be broken into two halves, being a right-hand half and a left-hand half, viewing FIG. 1 of the drawing, for purposes of transportation, storage and erection. In the embodiment chosen for illustration, the center post 42 is provided inasmuch as the diameter of the kiln is such that central support of the framework is necessary and desirable. On the other hand, in the case of kilns having a smaller diameter, the center post 42 may be eliminated and, if necessary, replaced by other suitable bracing.

Stringer 44 is supported by a pair of braces 64, the lowermost of said braces being connected to jack beam 58 as by a connector plate 66, the uppermost of said braces 64, in the form shown, being connected to center post 42 and particularly, channel 60 thereof as by a connector plate 68. Likewise, stringer 46 is supported by a pair of braces 70, the lowermost of said braces being carried by jack beam 50 and connected thereto as by connector plate 72, the uppermost of said braces being carried by center post 42 and connected to channel 62 thereof as by connector plate 74 in the form of invention illustrated. The outer ends of the braces 64 and 70 are attached to their corresponding stringers 44 and 46 as by conventional clamp members 76. It will be noted that each of the stringers 44 and 46 has a substantially vertical stretch 78, each of said stringers also having an inclined stretch 80, the inclined stretches extending upwardly and inwardly from the upper ends of the vertical stretches to a point of connection with rigid member 34 and center post 42, as by gusset members 82.

As noted above, in kilns of a smaller diameter than that illustrated in the drawing, the center post 42 may be eliminated and if such is done, the upper ends of the stringers 44 and 46 would be suitably coupled to the central portion of rigid member 34, as by gusset members similar to those shown at 82. In the form of invention where no center post 42 is provided, the braces 64- and 70 may also be eliminated, the stringers 44 and 46 being supported by resting upon jack beam 58 and connected, at their upper ends, to rigid member 34.

The screws 48 are carried by said stringers 44 and 46 and are spaced apart thereupon, the screws 48 lying in a common, substantially vertical plane. In this regard, it will be noted from FIG. 2 of the drawing that the lower ends of the stringers 44 and 46 are positioned slightly off-center on jack beam 58, whereby to cause said framework 38 to assume a position slightly inclined with respect to true vertical, this resulting from the fact that, while the lower ends of the framework are offset with respect to the center of beam 58, the upper ends thereof are on the center line of rigid member 34. The provision of a slightly inclined-from-vertical position for the framework 38 permits the screws 48 to be actuated without binding or hanging up as the same are rotated to obtain the desired configuration for rigid member 34.

As seen in FIG, 1 of the drawing, the screws 48 are preferably substantially equidistantly spaced along their supporting stringers, whereby the right and left halves of the support assembly 36 are essentially identical in construction. Thus, it will be noted that each of the vertical stretches 78 carries a pair of screws 48. On each side of the support assembly, the lowermost of said screws carried by the vertical stretch 78 is substantially horizontally disposed and consists of a cylinder 84, a threaded rod 86, and an interiorly threaded sleeve 88, the sleeve 88 being coupled to the rigid member 34 by a bracket 90 having a pivot pin 92 extending therethrough and through sleeve 88.

The construction of the uppermost screws carried by each of the vertical stretches 78 is the same as that of the lowermost screws, it being noted however, that said uppermost screws are inclined relative to the vertical stretch 78.

In the embodiment chosen for illustration, the inclined stretches 80 of stringers 44 and 46 each carry two screws, the lowermost screws on each side being of the same construction as the screws carried by vertical stretches 78, the uppermost screw carried by each of the inclined stretches 80 consisting solely of a cylinder 94 having a threaded rod 96, which rod is connected to rigid member 4 34 by means of a bracket 98 and pivot pin 100. Each of the screws 48 carried by support assembly 36 is provided with a suitable operating handle 102 whereby the screws may be actuated by a user positioned on platform 30 or on framework 38 whereby to rotate said handles 102.

It will be appreciated that when support assembly 36, as illustrated, is to be positioned within kiln 10, the same may be broken along its vertical center line as by separating the channels 60 and 62 constituting center post 42. The support assembly may then be erected upon jack beam 50 which is, in turn, carried by baseplates 40 and the screws each connected to the rigid member 34, which member is made of a distortable material and is normally arcuate in configuration whereby to conform as closely as possible to the configuration of the interior face of the kiln shell 12. However, in order to accommodate the rigid member 34 to the exact configuration of the interior face 16, it is normally necessary to operate one or more of the screws 48 to conform the configuration of the rigid member 34 to that of the interior face 16 of the kiln shell 12. As is readily apparent from the foregoing, this can be accomplished by either independent or collective operation of the screws 48, and when this is done, the configuration of rigid member 34 can be longitudinally distorted into conformity with that of the interior face 16, whereupon liner brick may then be positioned upon rigid member 34 and said brick spaced equidistantly from the interior face 16. Additionally, the support assembly 36 and its adjusting screws 48 may be utilized to insure that rigid member 34 is maintained in an arcuate configuration corresponding to that of the interior of the kiln shell being lined. Thus, by providing a support assembly which permits adjustment of the rigid member 34, said member can be drawn inwardly whereby to accommodate for a kiln which is out-of-round, or to compensate for brick which is of different size or dams formed along the interior of the kiln shell by the liner brick. Likewise, support assembly 36, by its adjustability, permits rigid member 34 to be expanded outwardly whereby to likewise accommodate for an out-of-round condition in the kiln shell or brick which is smaller.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. A support assembly for apparatus for lining the interior face of the generally cylindrical shell of a rotary kiln comprising:

an arcuate, rigid member of distortable material adapted to conform to the configuration of the interior face of the shell;

an upright framework;

a plurality of circumferentially positioned power devices carried by said framework, said devices lying in a common, substantially vertical plane;

means coupling the plurality of power devices with the framework;

means pivotally coupling each of the plurality of power devices to said distortable member at corresponding substantially equidistantly spaced points intermediate the ends of said member; and

separate operating means for each of said power devices to permit selective operation thereof, in either direction, to thereby exert independent, radially directed distorting forces on a portion of said member adjacent said corresponding point, said forces being collectively exertable to distort the longitudinal configuration of said member and thereby conform the member to the configuration of the interior face of the shell.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,298,155 1/1967 Byfield et al. 6184 FRANK L. ABBOTT, Primary Examiner J. L. RIDGILL, JR., Assistant Examiner 

